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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23035810">if there's such a thing as justice, let me help you find your justice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardlightHolography/pseuds/HardlightHolography'>HardlightHolography</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Picard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(The only thing that's dead is any potential for Narissa's redemption), Alternate Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Catharsis, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I REPEAT: NOBODY DIES, Nobody is Dead, Not Canon Compliant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23035810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardlightHolography/pseuds/HardlightHolography</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“So how do you know Picard?”<br/>Hugh and Elnor find they have more in common than meets the eye. A VERY needed fix-it fic for this post-episode 7 world we're living in. WILL contain heavy spoilers, but there's a happy ending, I promise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>if there's such a thing as justice, let me help you find your justice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you were as emotionally destroyed watching Nepenthe as I was, read at your own risk. I hope you find this story as cathartic to read as I found writing it to be. However, there is dialogue and action lifted right from the episode, and I broke down in tears just going back to reference it. So please be careful. It's worth the happy ending, if you can get through heartbreak first.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So how do you know Picard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe not the best question to ask when you’re on the run from dozens of angry Romulans who probably want you dead, but Hugh was used to multitasking. Strangely, he and this mystery kid who showed up just as the Admiral and Soji fled the Artifact made a pretty solid team. Hugh knew his way through the Borg cube, back and front — even the areas he’d never been in before (of which there were few) — were ingrained in his mind like a map had been implanted in there long ago. The young Romulan (had Picard called him Elnor?) seemed green and headstrong, but Hugh </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>just watched him sever the heads of three men in one slice of his blade. He didn’t question his ability to protect them after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He relocated my people to Vashti during the evacuation,” Elnor explained, keeping his back to the xB, his eyes never leaving the dark corridor in front of him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right. The Federation made an alliance with the Romulans and tried to help them flee from the Supernova. It’s why I’m safe here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hugh thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was safe.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Until now. “Where are we going? What do they want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh sighed, continuing to press forward, his pace quickening slightly. “We’re going to get out of here,” he said, not wanting to be too specific in case someone was listening. Of course someone was listening. They always were. “And they’re probably angry because we helped Soji and Picard escape.” Cursing quietly, Hugh ducked into a side corridor, grabbing the back of Elnor’s shirt and pulling him along with him. He held his breath, holding up a finger to Elnor’s lips until he could see that the coast was clear. A patrol had just passed by them, disruptors at the ready. Exhaling in the little relief he’d allow himself, his tired eyes met Elnor’s concerned ones. He opted to ignore that concern for now. “That was a long time ago, wasn’t it? The relocation? You couldn’t have been more than a child at the time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was a child,” Elnor confirmed. “Picard visited often and he would read to me and engage in combat training with me, except that it was for fun. We would act out scenes from </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Three Musketeers</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He promised he would find me a real family.” Hugh listened, watching him curiously. Everything he seemed to be describing sounded good. Nice. Yet he could tell there was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>but</span>
  </em>
  <span> to this story. “Eventually, he visited less and less, until he stopped coming at all. I continued my training with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Qowat Milat</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I grew, and gave up on those childish pursuits of glory, and family. I embraced the way of Absolute Candor, and protected my home with the sisterhood. And then the Admiral returned, just a few days ago. I came with him, because—” He fell quiet again as another patrol passed by, bur rather than hiding, leapt from the shadows and struck them down. Then he returned to the conversation without missing a beat. “I felt his cause was worthy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh was staring wide-eyed at the pile of bodies on the ground. He blew out a huff of air and stepped over the fallen Romulans. Elnor fell back into place behind him. “What makes a cause worthy? You left him to stay with me, after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a very slight hesitation before Elnor replied. “Any cause that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Qowat Milat</span>
  </em>
  <span> bind their sword to must be a lost one,” he said, as if reciting something very old. And, Hugh suspected, he probably was. But… </span>
  <em>
    <span>This probably </span>
  </em>
  <span>is </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lost cause. I’m surprised he’d admit that, but what was it he said before? Absolute Candor?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “How do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> know Picard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s a long story</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Hugh wanted to say, and leave it at that. But it seemed only fair after the kid opened up. Maybe this honesty thing would be good for them both. “How much do you know about the Borg?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not very much,” Elnor confessed. “Other than the fact that they are dangerous and a threat to the entire galaxy.” He looked around. “And that this cube assimilated Romulans. But I read that on Picard’s ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in Hugh’s chest jumped. “Picard’s ship? The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor shook his head. “No. The one we came here on. Well, I suppose it's actually Rios’ ship. Anyway… why, are you a Borg?” He frowned. “You don’t look like the pictures I saw.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh laughed, a little bitterly, a little sadly. “No. I was. None of the people on this ship are truly Borg now, although most people would not believe that. We call ourselves the xB, though the Romulans working on the Artifact prefer to call us the </span>
  <em>
    <span>nameless.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs of old memories. “I was still a Borg when Picard and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span> found me. They saved my life, gave me a name, and because of him, I was able to become an individual, and eventually pass that on to the entire collective.” He smiled to himself. “The Borg are not evil, Elnor. Not anymore. Picard had a difficult time believing that too, but he took a chance on me, and look what happened! A Borg </span>
  <em>
    <span>Reclamation </span>
  </em>
  <span>Project. One day, maybe all of us will be free to really live as </span>
  <em>
    <span>people</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” He looked over his shoulder, feeling eyes on him, only to see Elnor looking directly at him. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is a noble cause,” Elnor said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Hugh didn’t know what that meant coming from the Romulan, he might have been encouraged by it. Instead, his smile melted into a thin line, turning back ahead. “Eyes on the road, kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked in silence for a while after that, communicating only when necessary, Elnor cutting down anyone in their paths. All Hugh could think about was the xBs in the other wing of the cube, praying that the hostile Romulans hadn’t gotten to them first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, as bad luck would have it, they had. “Stay back,” Hugh had ordered Elnor. “I’ll handle this.” And shockingly, the young Romulan complied. Face to face with Narissa, Hugh refused to tell her anything about where Picard and Soji had gone. He refused to watch as the guards gunned down the xB hostages, all lined up in a row. Confused, terrified, not understanding anything that was happening to them, Hugh could not even take time to mourn them. “I would kill you too, but you’re Federation. And you’re protected by that asenine treaty.” Narrissa said, and released her grip on his hair. He fell forward, and she slipped away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh dropped to his knees beside his fallen friends, face scrunching up as if he were going to cry — but no tears came. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My fault. I failed them</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Narissa’s accusations rang clear and true in his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should be dead with them</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He didn’t turn at first when he heard the sound of footsteps beside him, fully expecting it to be Narissa again, deciding that a treaty wasn’t worth letting a dangerous enemy walk free. But it was Elnor, crouching beside him with a hand on his shoulder, his expression a mix of horror and concern. Hugh returned his gaze to the floor, unable to look him in the face, or even the glassy, empty eyes of the xBs. Not until Elnor held out a hand to him did he finally accept, and got shakily to his feet. The other was a comfort, if only a little bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There are still good Romulans out there</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he noted distantly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe not all hope is lost after all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, they walked side by side, and the silence felt heavy and suffocating. Luckily, Elnor seemed to sense it too. “Did you ever feel betrayed by Picard?” he asked, and it took Hugh a moment to recalibrate, to return to their earlier conversation. “Or was he always your friend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Hugh said, and the laughter in his voice sounded broken and hollow. “I was angry with him for a long time. The sense of individuality I brought back to the collective corrupted us. We were shattered, lost, confused. We fell into disarray, and it was my fault. But I blamed Picard, and the others on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They had forced me to break my link with the hive, to think as my own person. Those feelings spread like a virus, and we nearly killed each other, or ourselves.” He began to tremble, the emotion of the memories paired with the new tragedy beginning to overwhelm him. Elnor put his arm around his shoulder, steadying him. “But when they were in trouble, I helped them. They had helped me once… and it was the right thing to do. And together, we were able to stop the… person… who had taken control of us in our shattered state. When we were broken and in pieces, Picard encouraged me to become their leader. I did. And I didn’t see him again… until today.” He sighed. “Once again, my people are dying because of one human’s morality.” Hugh shook his head. “I am a fool. Doomed to make the same mistakes again and again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor stopped walking abruptly, and so Hugh stopped short as well. The young Romulan stepped in front of him, and Hugh gave him a confused look as he raised his hands to grip the sides of the xB’s face so he could look him in the eyes. “No,” Elnor said firmly. “You are not a fool. You are a brave and honorable </span>
  <em>
    <span>survivor, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I am proud to fight by your side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no disguising the quiet sob that escaped at his words. Hugh looked down, nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Now. We are going to take this cube away from them forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a treaty violation to me.” Narissa stepped into view, and they stopped short, exchanging a look of surprise mixed with horror. “Did you really think you weren’t being watched? And not just a treaty violation. Open insurrection. I’m grateful,” she said, with a painted smile on her face. “I’m authorized to kill you now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh took a step forward, but Elnor held him back with a hand, drawing his sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please friends. Choose to live.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When the open fire began, Elnor pushed Hugh to the side, to safety. He knew this was no fight for an untrained xB. This was a fight for warriors. Hugh could only watch, hidden, as they put down their weapons and went hand to hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor didn’t see the knife hurtling through the air. Neither did Hugh. Someone cried out when it lodged in the xB’s neck though, and it could have been either of them. Elnor abandoned the fight, running to his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To activate the Queencell, you will need an xB.” Hugh’s words were faint, hoarse as blood blocked his airways. “How’s this for a lost cause?” Despite the obvious concern on Elnor’s face, he couldn’t feel the pain. All he could do was smile. His other hand cupped Elnor’s cheek, brushing away the tears that began to run down his face. “I was that much of a… hopeful fool again, for a minute.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor was shaking, unable to form whatever words were on his tongue. Or maybe he didn’t even know what to say. But Hugh did. “Thanks… for that,” he whispered. His hand was clutched in Elnor’s as the light faded from his eyes. He had no idea how long he sat there, holding onto Hugh as if staying with him meant he wasn’t really gone. But he knew what he had to do.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Through the haze, Elnor could just barely make out the form of Seven of Nine entering the cube. Their eyes locked, and to Elnor it seemed like she was staring straight through his soul. Too late, he realized she had asked him a question. He hadn’t heard it. He’d managed to keep himself together up until now, but seeing a familiar face after witnessing such tragedy had been the breaking point. He ran to her, flinging his arms around her neck. His cheeks were damp — was he crying?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven of Nine seemed just as puzzled, but she returned the embrace after a moment of hesitation. “It’s okay,” she said quietly. “You’re okay.” When Elnor’s sobs subsided a little, she repeated her question. “What happened here, kid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Zhat Vash lady, she… Hugh…” Seven’s eyes widened a fraction and she looked over his shoulder into the darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is he?” He didn’t respond. “Elnor, it’s going to be okay but I need you to take me to him, NOW.” Startled out of his stunned trance, Elnor pulled her away from her and turned on his heel, running back to where the xB’s body was still laying on the ground. She sank to her knees next to him, checking for a pulse. Fingers lingered over the knife wound, and after a moment, she looked up at Elnor who was hovering anxiously. “Help me get him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ask questions, just do it. He’s going to be fine, but we need to get him to a regeneration alcove now, or we’ll lose him.” Seven was already on her feet again, looking around as if trying to get a sense of where they were within the cube. “This way, let’s go.” Elnor, looking thoroughly spooked, hauled Hugh up, draping the man’s full weight on himself. Seven took off down the corridor, and Elnor followed as quickly as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand,” he said, hurrying along behind Seven. “He died. He isn’t breathing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven didn’t respond. Eventually, they turned a corner. Across the wall were a line of metal chambers. They looked old and worn, dust covered, as if they hadn’t been used in a long time. “Shit,” she said under her breath. “Let’s hope these things still work. Help me get him in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven grabbed one of Hugh’s arms and Elnor followed suit, not really understanding, but following her lead. Together, they pulled him upright into the alcove. “Come on,” Seven said through grit teeth. “Come on, </span>
  <em>
    <span>work, dammit!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor glanced from the limp xB to Seven, confusion still radiating from him. “What is supposed to happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven released Hugh, letting his full weight fall onto Elnor. “When Borg drones are resting, or needed to generate, they come here. Injured Borg can be healed or even revived as long as they can connect to the matrix.” She reached up, pulling on some loose wires and plugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he isn’t a Borg anymore,” Elnor pointed out. “So how would this help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s Borg enough,” Seven said. “See this?” Her fingers traced the implant on his right cheek. “On their own, these Borg parts are non-functional. Depending on our anatomy, sometimes they can be fully removed. Other times, extraction would be fatal. In this case, still having this port may just save your friend’s life.” Finally, she pulled a plug loose triumphantly. “This is it,” she said, connecting it carefully to the implant. “Now… give this thing a good kick and let’s see if it turns on.” Elnor complied, and a faint green glow began omitting from the top of the alcove. Seven’s breath hitched; seeing it come to life for the first time in so long triggered a visceral reaction she hadn’t expected. Elnor seemed to clock it, but to his credit, said nothing. “Now we just have to hope his body’s functions kick in and he can support himself upright.” It wasn’t looking likely. Hugh was still limp in Elnor’s arms. They waited a minute, two, three. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of a sudden, he stiffened, body shooting upright. Despite still looking unconscious, he seemed to be standing on his own two feet. After a moment, his eyes shot open, pupils dilated and darting back and forth frantically, but not seeing. Then they closed again. Elnor could only watch in awe. “Is it working?” he asked in a whisper, as if scared that even breathing would disrupt the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it another minute,” Seven said, holding out a hand to prevent him from moving any closer. “His body is responding to the stimulus. As long as his brain functions activate as well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, Hugh’s body gave another big heave, as if he was drawing in a breath. Elnor glanced at Seven, who met his eyes and kind of gestured toward the alcove as if to say “go check”. He reached up, placing his fingers on Hugh’s neck, checking for a pulse. His other hand splayed across his chest. Elnor frowned in concentration for a moment, and then his face lit up, turning back to Seven and away from Hugh. “It worked! He’s breathing! We did it!” Seven just smiled.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Nearly twelve hours elapsed while Hugh was in the alcove. Sensing Elnor’s apparent worry, Seven reassured him that this much regeneration was usually not normal, but considering how long it had been since his last one, and how he had been technically dead, it wasn’t surprising. Seven didn’t stay there the whole time, instead scouting around the cube for any xBs who were still alive, as well as any Romulans that had been left behind. When she eventually returned to the regeneration room, she simply said that all potential threats had been “taken care of”. She didn’t say what that meant, and Elnor didn’t ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Romulan himself sat by Hugh’s alcove the whole time. He didn’t sleep, instead choosing to meditate deeply when he wasn’t actively watching the xB like a hawk, fierce and protective. When he needed to get up to stretch, he would patrol near the doorway with his sword drawn, just in case Narissa or any other Zhat Vash operative came by to finish the job. But none came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was back to meditating when he heard the sound of elevated, labored breathing. A firm hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his trance and he looked up to see Seven of Nine shaking him. He was on his feet in an instant, moving toward the alcove where Hugh was beginning to awake. His form, which had been so still, was stirring slightly, and Elnor could sense eye movement behind his lids. His breathing was becoming somewhat erratic, and when the xB’s eyes finally popped open, they were wide with terror.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No! Get me out! Let me go! Get out of my head, let me go I won’t go back, I won’t—”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor leapt forward. Seven tried to grab his arm, to pull him back, but he evaded her grasp. He gripped Hugh by both shoulders, steadying him as he flailed, trying to break free from the cord connected to his implant, as well as the paralyzing restraining field the alcove seemed to have around him. Seven was immediately at Elnor’s side, disconnecting him from the physical connection. “Easy, my friend, it’s alright. You’re safe here. It’s me, Elnor. Remember? Here, focus on my face. That’s it.” As he spoke, slow and calm, Hugh began to relax. His eyes stopped moving and eventually settled on the other, recognition slowly coming back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elnor,” he whispered, and then collapsed into the Romulan’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Hugh came to again, he was in his bed, in his quarters, and Elnor was once again at his side, face hovering over him anxiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the — oh, god.” He rolled over with a pained groan, covering his face with a pillow. “Elnor, personal space.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor’s brows knit together in confusion. “Oh. I’m sorry.” He scooted back an inch or two. “Is that better?” Hugh just grunted a response. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, so many questions.” Pillow removed, Hugh shifted onto his back again, staring at the ceiling. “I feel like I just took a knife to the neck and then spent twelve hours in a Borg regeneration alcove.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a very good memory for someone who was dead or unconscious for all of those events.” Elnor crossed his arms, giving Hugh a skeptical look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolute Candor, huh?” Hugh sounded annoyed, but there was a hint of affection in his voice too. “Trust me, I may not have been </span>
  <em>
    <span>conscious</span>
  </em>
  <span> but I was aware, up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “And the sensation of regeneration is not something you forget, no matter how long it is.” He sighed, and propped himself up awkwardly into a sitting position. “How did you know what to do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elnor stood at attention, glancing around as if expecting Seven to appear on cue. But the room was silent. “You said I’d need an xB. She just needed to take care of you, first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t mention her by name, but he didn’t need to. Somehow, Hugh just knew. “Is she still here? Seven of Nine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I don’t know,” Elnor said honestly. “She said she had something to do and to not wait for her.” He frowned. “I suspect she left once you were resting in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh shook his head. “I never got to meet her. Our paths nearly crossed… it must have been dozens of times between being in the collective and our respective lives outside. But we’ve never spoken. I’d like to… thank her. For saving my life. And for all the work she’s done in the name of free Borg.” He was interrupted by a coughing fit, at which point Elnor sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked his forehead, pushing his hair back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see her again,” he reassured Hugh. The xB smiled, and shook his head slightly. Elnor’s own smile faded. “What will you do now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After we get you back to your friends?” He looked expectantly at Elnor, who glanced away. “Oh, I don’t know. Try to clean up the mess here, I suppose. Rally the remaining xB. Figure out where we can go. Maybe… maybe we’ll find a home somewhere uncharted. In another quadrant of the galaxy? Who knows. We have the whole rest of our lives ahead of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Elnor looked back up at him, there was a fierce intensity on his face. “I want to go with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately Hugh shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. You have duties elsewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My bound my sword to </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> cause, and I will see it through!” Elnor’s voice rose in protest, but Hugh remained adamant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was bound to Picard first, right? You must go back to him, Elnor. He needs you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> need me!” Elnor’s frustration began to manifest in the form of tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I do.” The admittance seemed to satiate the young Romulan for a moment. “It would be invaluable to have a Romulan here with them as they recover, someone who speaks their language and understands their culture. Someone who can show them what true goodness is.” He reached out, covering Elnor’s hand with his own and squeezing it tightly. “But we’ll be alright,” he continued. “You have already helped me so much. Your duty to my cause has been fulfilled, tenfold. Besides,” he smiled, trying to reassure the still-upset Elnor. “We are no longer a lost cause, are we?” Elnor stared at the floor. “Return to Picard. You will not forgive yourself if you do not continue helping him. When you’re finished, we’ll still be here. I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a long moment, Elnor stood. Then he bent over, wrapping Hugh in a tight, bone-crushing hug. The xB laughed in surprise, and wound his arms around the other’s neck. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Jolan tru,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Elnor whispered. “I shall miss you, Hugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh closed his eyes, finding he wasn’t yet ready to let go. It might be the last time for a long time that anyone will hold him like this. “Yeah. I’m gonna miss you too, Elnor.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Hugh watched as the young Romulan stepped through the queencell device and disappeared. Once it powered down, he moved back and took in the room, exhaling a breath that seemed like he’d been holding for far too long. He stood there in the silence until the sound of footsteps behind him caused him to turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t a Romulan, as he feared, or one of the xB residents of the Artifact who had gone for a wander and gotten lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seven of Nine,” he breathed. “The kid said you left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” she said. “I came back to check on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh snorted. “That’s an awful lot of caring for someone who’s never met me before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coming to stand beside him, Seven cocked her brow. “I also wanted to make sure he actually went back to the others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Right</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “He did.” A moment. “...I don’t suppose I can convince you to come with us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven laughed quietly, glancing around the queencell. “Come with you and dozens of Romulan ex-Borgs, on a wild quest to find a home?” She smiled, shaking her head. “No. I need my own life, Hugh. And I have no desire to settle in one place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I figured,” he said. “But it was worth asking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seven placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s a good thing you’re doing here. They’re going to have long lives. Long, wonderful, </span>
  <em>
    <span>free</span>
  </em>
  <span> lives. You did this for them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Hugh said, though he sounded unconvinced. “I guess so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood in silence for a while longer. It felt strangely like home, in a way Hugh never thought a Borg cube would feel again. He knew he would never be able to have the life Seven had, entirely free of the collective, living independently among the stars. He’d spent too long with the Borg, even within this shattered collective of broken individuals. He wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be anywhere else. There might be no more hivemind, no more single consciousness, but he depended on them, just as he knew they depended on him. And for the first time since the start of the Reclamation Project, he realized that he was… happy. Truly happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should get going,” Seven said finally. “Will you be alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh nodded, turning to her with a smile. “I’m good. I’m really, really good. Safe travels, my friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Already turning to go, she gave him a little salute over her shoulder. “You too. You and all our brothers and sisters.” As the door swished shut behind her, Hugh was left alone. He cast his eyes upward, to the small skylight at the top of the high ceiling, and could just barely make out the stars twinkling faintly above. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll find our home out there. Someday. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you made it all the way to the end, thank you. This was my first time writing Elnor and Seven, so I hope I did them justice. I also know very little about Borg regeneration, so if I got anything wrong, let's look the other way, please. Anyway. If this story helped your mourning process in any way, please let me know.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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